An acting legend is shutting down whispers of brain cancer and reminding fans not to believe everything they read online.
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On April 2, William Shatner, 95, took to Instagram to debunk a false report that he was “battling for his life” due to brain cancer. The rumor originated from a Facebook page posing as a wedding planning service, which had been sharing various AI-generated images and stories about the beloved Star Trek star.
“My Daughter came over to tell me her daughter heard that I had brain cancer,” Shatner wrote alongside a snapshot of himself grinning while lounging outside. “She took this photo and sent it to me to upload to prove I’m not ill.”
“The people who are ill are those that are spreading these ridiculous stories,” he added. “I’m fit as a fiddle. You don’t have to worry.”
William Shatner Condemns Page Claiming He Has Brain Cancer
In another Instagram post, Shatner condemned the page for “using AI to create horrible fake news stories about me.”
“They have created stories that say I have stage 4 brain cancer, was in some kind of fight with Erika Kirk, and that I’m dying. All their stories are monetized. Most of the stories use an AI image of me. Facebook Support will not remove the page,” the veteran actor explained.
“None of these stories are true, but they apparently seem genuine enough for fans to repost them across social media and send messages of support to me and my family all while the culprits behind the account make money,” Shatner added.
Shatner described the situation as a “downside of AI” and “yellow journalism,” opining that while AI can be “a wonderful tool in the right hands, it can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands.”
The Facebook page Shatner referred to was taken down by Thursday afternoon. Meta, the platform’s parent company, confirmed to Entertainment Weekly, “This page has been removed for violating our policies.”
Despite a recent shoulder surgery from being thrown from a horse, Shatner shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he’s trading in his horse for a full-on heavy metal album. In February, he announced he’ll be singing on the upcoming album, backed by a host of metal legends.
Just last month, the Boston Legal actor also posted a snapshot celebrating his 95th birthday.
“At 95, I’m still smokin’! 😝,” the T. J. Hooker star joked in his caption.